Heroine
by Moni-chan
Summary: This is the story of the bravest girl to grace her world, and the trials of her life. Based very loosely upon the story of Mulan, a true heroine in her own right. Serena and Darien are in a pretty dangerous predicament!
1. Default Chapter

Standard Disclaimers Apply.  
  
  
  
  
  
This is the story of the bravest girl to grace her world,   
and the trials of her life.  
  
Based very loosely upon the story of Mulan, a true heroine  
in her own right.  
  
  
  
Heroine  
A Serena and Darien Alternate Reality Fic  
  
by Moni-chan  
  
monichan@telus.net  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Prologue  
  
  
  
  
People and pets rushed out of the path of the girl running  
towards the lake. Chickens squawked clumsily and feathers  
flew all over as she sped by.  
  
Serena was behind schedule. She was supposed to have washed  
these clothes over an hour ago, but she'd been practicing   
her fighting techniques again. If her mother found out,  
Serena knew she would be in huge trouble.  
  
Of course, this was the norm. Serena Tsukino was a 17 year  
old girl who was such a tomboy that neighbours often did  
wonder if she really was a boy at heart. She never fully  
obeyed her parents, never finished her chores, never dressed  
in nice clothes. It seemed that all she liked to do was  
to practice her fighting.  
  
It wasn't that she didn't want to be feminine, Serena liked  
to reason to herself, it was just that she didn't have a   
reason to act feminine yet. She wouldn't have to start  
worrying about a husband for several years, and she didn't  
have any boyfriends to be worrying about either.  
  
The latter was probably due to the fact that all the boys  
were deathly afraid of her. With a single fluid movement,  
she could have them pinned to the ground and begging for  
mercy.   
  
There was that time a boy new to the village had tried to  
kiss her. Thinking that she was as frail as she looked,  
he had cornered her into an alley and was quickly advancing  
upon her when ..  
  
WHAM!  
  
The boy couldn't walk for a week after that incident.  
  
It was plain and simple why the boys avoided her. She was  
as beautiful as a sunny day, but no one dared to cross   
Serena Tsukino; not if they valued their lives.  
  
And yet, despite all that, all the villagers loved her. They   
loved her sunny and carefree nature. They loved how she would   
always drop whatever she was doing to help them. They loved   
how she always tried to cheer people up.  
  
There weren't many people like Serena in the world.  
  
And there definitely weren't many people who could run as fast  
as she, judging from way she was tearing the road in half.  
  
  
  
-----------  
  
  
  
The little imp in Serena's mind was talking again. Persuading.  
  
Look at the lake.   
Look at its beautiful blueness.   
Notice how clean and refreshing it is.   
Aren't you hot, after washing all those clothes?   
Don't you want to cool off?   
Look at the lake..  
  
With a resigned sigh, Serena quickly stripped off her clothes  
and jumped into the lake. She really didn't want to listen to  
that little devil inside of her, but it really was so good at  
convincing her to get into trouble.  
  
The pool did feel good though, she had to admit. And she was  
thoroughly enjoying herself. After all, she did deserve a  
break from washing all those clothes.  
  
*Rustle*  
  
Three teenage boys huddled in the bushes, trying to take peeks  
at the beautiful girl swimming in the lake. They couldn't  
believe their luck. She was magnificent! The way her light  
blond hair was loose and floating about her. The way the water   
droplets looked on her skin. The way they could almost see a   
full silhouette of her unclad figure ... almost ...  
  
*Crack*  
  
Serena's senses perked up immediately at the sound of a twig  
breaking. Someone was in the vicinity! And she didn't have  
any clothes on ...   
  
Even Serena had the grace to blush this time.  
  
A slow nonchalant gaze revealed no one, so she immediately  
deduced that the faintly shaking bush must be the culprit, as  
there was no wind currently blowing to shake the bush.   
  
The boys never knew what hit them. One second, they were  
watching her swim. The next, she became a whirling mass of   
clothes, and disappeared.  
  
"Where'd she go?" they mumbled quietly within themselves,  
groaning at the lost opportunity. Ah well. The quick glimpse  
that they had was more than enough to fill their fantasies for  
next while. They quickly straightened themselves out and   
stepped out of the bushes ...  
  
only to find her standing there, hands on hips, an angry mask  
clouding her face.  
  
Uh oh.  
  
"How nice to see you here." Serena's voice was sickeningly sweet  
yet sarcastic in tone.  
  
The guys stuttered nervously. "Uhh ... nice to see you Serena.  
Umm... we'll just be going now ... BYE!" They turned, ready  
to run as fast as their legs would permit.  
  
A slim hand shot out in front and blocked them. It quickly   
grabbed the arm of one boy and twisted it behind his back.  
The other hand wasted no time, quickly and methodically   
twisting his arm as well. The third was tripped with a quick  
foot movement.  
  
They clung to each other then, in fear, as they watched her  
contemplate their punishment. After all, if the village  
found out that they had been peeking, their parents would  
be disgraced. But Serena would get her fair share of trouble  
as well for daring to swim in the nude.  
  
They begged. They dropped down to their knees and howled  
in her face, begging her to let them go. They wailed their  
apologies and regrets, and promised never to peek on her or  
any girl again.   
  
Serena snorted in disgust at their pathetic behaviour. And   
to think they were older than her! She doubted that she could  
bring herself to marry any one of those boys in a few years,  
event if they were supposingly the best suitors in the village.  
Sure they were handsome, sure they had money. Still, they were  
cowards, and she knew she would never marry a coward.  
  
No, Serena had always set her ideals high. She had always vowed   
to herself to only marry a man that she both loved and respected.  
  
With a sigh, she turned and walked away, not even noticing the  
the three guys anymore.  
  
  
  
-----------  
  
  
  
The Tsukino family was a famous one throughout the country. Ken  
Tsukino was a national hero, after having bravely fought his way  
through the last war. He had led army after army and proved that  
he was superior in both fighting skills and intelligence skills.  
  
It had been the hope of the country to see him have a son, and   
train the son into something special. But after discovering that  
he had a baby daughter and that his wife could no longer give  
birth to children, the people of the country lost interest in his  
family. After all, Ken was old now; he wouldn't be able to fight   
well anymore. There would be no son to pass on family secrets.  
  
And yet they were wrong. Ken had been disappointed when he first  
learned that his child was a girl, but as he watched his little  
girl grow up, he learned to respect her, and he treated her as he  
would treat his son.  
  
Since Serena was five, he had taught her to fight. When Serena  
was ten, she was adept with a full-sized sword. Now, she was  
easily better than everybody in the village. But she still had  
a lot left to learn. There was only one thing holding her back ...  
  
Serena was a girl, and as a girl, she had certain duties that   
could not be avoided no matter what the circumstances. She had  
to help with family chores and she had to take courses in   
etiquette.  
  
Both she and her father had wanted her to take lessons in school,  
like the other boys. But the country had strict rules regarding  
education of men and women, and the law said that girls must  
attend etiquette school.  
  
All those times wasted on learning manners, her father thought.   
Serena never acted like she had learned anything in those classes.  
In fact she was as brash and as unlady-like as ever.  
  
All those times when she could have been learning more fighting  
techniques, or reading books about history and strategy. Spent  
trying to become a lady!  
  
Ken chuckled himself. He loved his daughter dearly, but he knew  
that she would never be lady-like.  
  
  
  
-----------  
  
  
  
It wasn't until Serena was turning onto the street where she   
lived before she saw the commotion. There was a huge crowd   
of men gathered around some rich-looking officers on horses.  
  
Well, she'd do anything to prolong her journey home, and   
delay the punishment she knew she would get for taking an   
entire day to wash her basketful of clothes. Curious, she   
drew closer, noticing that her father was there as well.  
  
"Father!" she called, but it seemed he didn't hear her; he   
was intently listening to the man on the horse.  
  
"Father!" she called again, this time pushing through the   
crowd until she reached his side. The officers gave her a   
disdainful look.  
  
The man wearing the decorated armor must be the Prince, she   
thought excitedly. To think that she, Serena Tsukino, had   
actually seen a royal up close!  
  
"Who is this impertinent girl?" The prince demanded angrily.   
A girl like her had no right to them.   
  
"Please, pardon my daughter." her father gave her a stern   
glance and bowed his head humbly. "She is but a young girl   
who is not yet versed in her rules of etiquette."  
  
"Hmph. Well, she should be." And with that, the prince  
continued talking. Serena fumed silently, but listened to   
what they were saying this time. She knew that her family   
would get trouble if she was too outspoken. The man on the   
horse was the prince of their country. He was tall, dark,   
and handsome, she acknowledged, but entirely too chauvinistic   
for his own good.  
  
"The neighbouring country has been threatening our border,   
and it appears that war is imminent. The king has decreed   
that one man from each family between the ages of fifteen   
and sixty must enroll in the army to help defend his country.  
Each one of you will be in a different army camp..."  
The voices of the men were emotionless as they droned on,   
but Serena didn't hear them. She saw the resigned look on   
her father's face. He was so old! At 54, his bones were   
already softening, and she knew he would be nothing against   
the younger men.  
  
"Akiba family .... "  
  
The men were now handing out the official army notice to   
every family in the village. It was so unfair! Her father   
was a national hero, and had done more than his share in   
the past. Why must he be needed to enlist once more?   
Even as a general, he was not healthy enough to live in   
such unfavorable conditions war demanded.   
  
"Hino family .... "  
  
She knew the determined look on her father's face. He   
would not dishonor the respected name he had worked so   
hard to earn. He would not dishonor their family and   
become looked down upon by the entire country. She knew   
how stubborn he was.  
  
"Yan family .... "  
  
Why did a national hero have to sacrifice himself to   
retain his name? It was unfair, utterly unfair, but   
there was really nothing to be done. If he went to   
war, there would be almost no chance for his survival.   
How could her mother and her live without the steadiness   
of their father to support them? He was integral in   
their family, keeping them together, helping solve family   
issues when times were rough. A single tear fell silently   
along her cheeks, as she mourned the fate of her father.  
  
The prince was a sharp observer, and noticed her. All   
girls were the same, he thought, unable to handle the   
thought of war and of fighting. One mention of war, and   
they'd all go scurrying to hide in their tears.   
  
Now, of course, she'd run off, like the rest of them, and   
go gossip with the other village girls.  
  
"Tsukino family .... "  
  
Serena couldn't stand it anymore, as she saw her father   
trudge slowly but proudly to pick up his army notice. She   
could say nothing; she knew she would only dishonor her   
father more by demanding for him to be considered special.   
People would think that her father had deliberately told her,   
as a pretty girl, to go beg the officers for a favor. Before   
her tears could fall, she quickly turned around and pushed   
her way back through the crowd.  
  
It wasn't until she was alone before she started crying.  
  
  
  
-----------  
  
  
  
That night, she watched discreetly as her parents discussed  
the war.  
  
Her mother's voice drifted through the night air, filled with  
emotion.   
  
"Ken, you shouldn't go. You should apply for a disability   
leave. You know your health isn't well. The king remembers  
you, I'm sure. He'll let a national hero rest at home ... "  
  
"And disgrace our family?" Her father's voice was urgent.  
"I will not have our country think that they cannot depend  
upon their heroes. It is a time of need. No matter what  
the danger is, I must go. I may not be able to help much,   
but I am a veteran. I can give tips on strategy. I might   
not escape the enemy's arrows, but any help that I can give   
will help our country. I ... "   
  
His voice cracked there,  
  
"just hope that you and Serena can be safe. If I'm there,  
I'll know the most up-to-date news about the war, and warn  
you when the enemies are drawing closer."  
  
"Ken ... "  
  
"Ilene, please. You know I would do anything for you two.  
If I were to stay, people would talk. I would be forced  
to go and enroll on my own. Then .... then .... while  
I am away, the other villagers would mock you, and mock  
our Serena. You know how cruel people can be."  
  
"But we need you, Ken. I need you, and Serena does too."  
  
He was crying with her. But he responded as gently as  
he could.  
  
"Take care of yourself. I couldn't bear to see you hurt.   
Take care of our daughter for me. I don't think I'll be   
able to say goodbye to her without crying as well. I   
don't want her to think that her father is a big baby."  
  
"Ken ... I love you."  
  
"I love you too, Ilene. I always have, and I always will."  
  
The two aged lovers embraced under the moonlight.  
  
  
  
-----------  
  
  
  
Serena's tears ran down her face.   
  
Why did life have to be so cruel to two people who loved  
each other so much?  
  
"I don't think you're a coward at all, father." she whispered  
into the night. "I think you're the bravest man that has   
ever graced our country. But I don't want you to risk your   
life. No, you have already contributed enough. Every family  
must sacrifice one man. If it won't be you, then it can only  
be .... me. Nobody would think of you as a disgrace if I   
ran off in the middle of the night. I'm young and I'm strong.  
Half the village thinks I'm a boy in disguise, anyway. I'll  
do my best father, to bring more honor for you."  
  
  
Her eyes narrowed in determination, and she went to her room  
to plan.  
  
  
  
  
  
End Prologue  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
*8 pages! Not bad for a beginner :)  
Chapter 1 will be long and it'll get better, I hope.   
There'll be Serena-Darien interactions too!  
Considering me, I'll probably end up revising the entire   
thing before I finish all the chapters :)   
  
Luv ya! And I luv e-mails too ^.^ hint hint.*  
  
  
Moni-chan  
monichan@telus.net 


	2. Heroine - Chapter One

Standard Disclaimers Apply.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
This is the story of the bravest girl to grace her world,   
and the trials of her life.  
  
Based very loosely upon the story of Mulan, a true heroine  
in her own right.  
  
  
  
Heroine  
A Serena and Darien Alternate Reality Fic  
  
by Moni-chan  
  
monichan@telus.net  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 1  
  
  
  
The winter air was crisp. Darien trudged through the fresh   
snow, ignoring the hustle and bustle around him. He hated   
snow, hated its pureness and beauty. He preferred rain and   
thunder, for it was during those times that he could think   
undisturbed.  
  
He never noticed all the girls giving him admiring looks,   
as he walked the path to military camp. Personally, he   
thought them artificial and annoying. Of course, all girls   
were interested only in their looks, their wealth, and   
potential husbands.  
  
That's why there was that law in the first place, which   
did not allow girls to be schooled with boys. He'd met   
a lot of women in his life, and to this day, he'd never   
met a single one that could concentrate on anything other   
than themselves for over an hour. That was why he always  
ignored him, hoping that they'd ignore him back.  
  
Little did he know, his brooding nature only heightened   
his appeal to women, as their vapid eyes followed his   
every movement.  
  
Darien had just bought himself some herbs, knowing that he  
couldn't afford to get sick when signs of war were   
approaching. Sighing at the thought of more fighting, he   
quickened his steps.  
  
  
He was roused out of his thought cycle, when he felt some   
nimble fingers in his pant pocket. Quickly, his arms moved   
in a martial arts move, only to reach ... air.   
  
With a well-chosen expletive, he turned around, dismayed  
to find that a couple of young boys were running off with  
his wallet. Well, he had quite a bit of money in there,  
and luckily he'd already spent most of it on the herbs.  
But there was no way he would let them steal his wallet   
without a fight. Why, he was Darien Chiba, Captain of an   
army camp, and they were just some little kids!  
  
"Come back here!" He yelled as he pushed through the  
crowd. "When I get my hands on you little ... "  
He stopped.  
  
An annoying man was blocking his way. He tried to move  
around him, but the man kept blocking him.  
  
Darien vented his exasperation on the man.   
"What the hell are you trying to do? I have to go chase   
those kids!"  
  
But the lanky young man in front of him paid him no heed.   
"You will do nothing of the kind." He said in voice   
surprisingly brash. "I will not let people like you punish   
harmless and innocent young children."  
  
Darien fumed. He'd give this guy a dose of his own  
medicine later. Right now, he could still see the kids.  
  
Growling, he pushed the young man angrily to one  
side, preparing to chase after the children again.  
  
WHAM!  
  
Darien felt himself flying through the air, felt   
himself slamming into a nearby pole. He felt the   
sudden pain hit ...  
  
It wasn't until a few minutes later that he could  
get up.  
  
"What on earth just happened?" He asked himself.  
Groggily getting up, he slowly realized that the   
young man had punched him.  
  
What a punch! It was delivered by a boy, no less,  
probably not any older than twenty.  
  
His anger only grew. Nobody hit captains of army camps   
if they wanted to live. Darien vowed that he would get   
that man back for what happened, no matter what.   
  
It was strange, his mind thought for a fleeting moment.  
Strange, because he'd always been a calm person. Plenty  
of people had stood in his way before, yet he'd always  
wait patiently and either outsmart or outwait them. He'd   
never felt so frustrated before. Why was this certain   
young man so annoying, and how did that man so easily   
break his calm?  
  
Slowly, Darien looked around at the people staring at him.   
  
He glared at them. "What do you think you're looking  
at, go back to your own business!"  
  
They continued staring. What Darien didn't know was  
that he currently had an enormous black eye.  
  
  
  
-----------  
  
  
  
Serena skipped down the road happily. After making  
a successful getaway, she was on her way to army  
training camp.  
  
She regretted leaving in the fashion she did, but  
it was one way of not having to see the stricken  
looks she knew her father and mother would have  
on their faces. Serena hated hurting her parents,   
and she knew that they were hurting right now. But   
she had to save her father.  
  
The little imp in her talked again.  
Are you sure you're so noble?   
Maybe you just wanted a change in lifestyle.   
You've always liked fighting.   
An army camp is the perfect way for you to practice   
without chores.   
Selfish girl, covering up your own   
wants as a crusade for your father.  
  
Sighing, she admitted silently to herself that it  
was partly true. She hadn't thought about it when  
she ran away from her home two nights ago, but now  
she knew she was excited to be joining the army.  
People would think of her as a boy, just like she  
always wanted to be thought.  
  
Nobody suspected anything yet, she reflected happily.  
Her golden blonde hair was in a tight bun at the top   
of her head, in the fashion of all the young men in town.  
It easily made her seem like she had a lot less hair  
than what usually cascaded down her back. She was tall,   
luckily, so nobody would think her as very different.   
She'd worn some padding under her armor to seem a little   
more muscular, but she knew she was still too skinny to   
pass for a strong young man.  
  
Serena made a face. She'd have to buff up more,  
especially if she had to fight that man again.  
  
  
Serena giggled at the thought of the man she'd just  
punched. Those little boys that she'd just saved were   
enjoying a nice big lunch at that little cafe at the   
end of the block. Well maybe she'd just mosey over   
and eat something herself.  
  
She had barely sat down before she saw the boys paying   
for their meal from a big black wallet. Children didn't  
carry wallets around, not in their day, especially   
expensive ones. They usually carried a few dollars in   
their pockets and that was all.  
  
Suspicious, she glanced furtively at them. Perhaps they   
had stolen it from their parents, little devils they were   
... or perhaps,  
  
She gasped in horror as the thought came to her. What if   
.... that was that man's wallet.  
  
If she had tried to stop him because the kids stole his   
wallet, then she had been a big bully. He was much more   
powerful than she, and the next time he saw her, he'd give   
her living hell for sure ....  
  
"Oh no no no.... Serena, stay calm." she told herself.   
"Maybe it isn't what you think it is. Just go check   
it out. Calmly."  
  
Quietly, she walked over to the boys' table and quickly   
snatched the wallet from their greedy little hands.  
  
"Hey! What do you think you're doing?"  
  
"Yeah! That's ours!"  
  
Serena ignored their indignant protests, and flipped   
through the wallet. Not much in it; some money, an   
identification card or two, and a picture.  
  
It was a sweet picture, probably taken when the man was   
slightly younger. He and an elder lady, most likely his   
mother, were seated, and smiling sweetly at the camera.   
Serena wondered why he'd keep a picture of his mother in   
his wallet ... perhaps he was just a sweet guy.  
  
She was now feeling incredibly guilty.  
  
"This is the wallet of the man you just stole it from."   
She told the children firmly. "I know that you have   
already ordered your food, but you are now not going   
to have the money to pay for it, as I am now taking   
this wallet away from you."  
  
The children cringed in fear of the young man with the   
stern tone, awaiting their full punishment.  
  
"If you don't want to get into major trouble with the  
store, you'd better call your parents here to pay for  
the meal. You wouldn't want to dishonor your family,  
would you?"  
  
And with that, Serena turned around and left.  
  
  
  
-----------  
  
  
  
Serena felt horrible. Her head hung low as she  
guiltily recounted every minute of her encounter  
with the poor man. He didn't deserve any of it,  
she knew. It was all her fault for jumping to  
conclusions.  
  
She remembered him yelling at her   
  
"What the hell are you trying to do?" he had said.  
"I have to go chase those kids!"  
  
At the time, she'd only seen the boys bump into him   
and quickly leave. She'd also seen him perform a   
deadly move that would have had the boys in a deadly   
vise had they been taller.  
  
She knew he would chase after the children. That was   
why she had to stop him.  
  
But how could children be so nasty? In her village,   
all the kids were so sweet; In this large town, they   
all seemed to understand more and plan more. They must   
have been trained pickpockets, to be able to steal   
wallets so easily.  
  
Unconsciously, her hand went to his wallet.  
  
"Oh what a horrible start," Serena mumbled to herself  
miserably. "I've only just come to this town, and I've   
already made my first enemy. Things can only get better   
than this ... I hope."  
  
So, first things first. She would have to find that   
man and apologize to him. He'd understand, hopefully,   
and they maybe would be able to part as friends. He   
seemed nice. Rather, his wallet seemed nice.  
  
Serena laughed at herself, envisioning the moment she  
would return his wallet to him.  
  
"Actually," she would say, "I recovered your wallet,  
and thought that your wallet was really nice. So I  
thought perhaps you would match your wallet and be  
really nice as well. I'm sorry for the way I acted."  
  
He would reply with, "No problem at all. I'm sorry  
I was so harsh with you. You did jump to conclusions,  
but you've learned your lesson now. Would you like  
to join me for lunch?"  
  
Serena snapped out of her reverie. Where had that  
last bit come from?  
  
Join him for lunch?  
  
She blushed. He'd never ask her to lunch; after all  
she was dressed as a boy. And if anyone found out  
that she indeed wasn't a boy, her family would be  
disgraced and the entirely family would be executed.  
  
Once more, she took out his wallet. Specifically,   
she examined his I.D. card. Darien Chiba. Military   
official. Well, that was a start. No wonder why he   
was skilled in the martial arts.  
  
"Hmph." Serena said to herself quietly. "I doubt he   
could be better than I. After all, my father's such  
a famous hero; he's the best teacher anyone could have."  
  
She had to report to army camp in a few hours. Maybe   
then, she could ask people if they knew who he was.  
  
  
  
  
-----------  
  
  
  
  
The first impression Serena had of army camp was its  
emptiness. She'd never seen a place more barren and  
sparse in her life.   
  
There were cabins made of wood for lodgings. The trees  
were few, probably used for making cabins, she noted  
wryly. The ground was covered in snow, so it was hard  
to tell what the texture was. She couldn't see the   
peeks of grass anywhere. All there were were cabins  
and cabins and more cabins.  
  
  
Somehow, it did not seem to be quite what she had  
envisioned it to be.   
  
Still, she bounced excitedly towards the little   
table where the admissions people were waiting.  
  
"You're rather early." One man's tone was dripping  
with sarcasm. "You must be so excited to be here."  
  
She noticed the tone in which he was speaking, and  
immediately toned down her enthusiasm.  
  
"Yes sir!" She made sure to use her best "guy"  
voice.  
  
"It says on this notice that Ken Tsukino is the   
man they asked for. Who are you?"  
  
"Uhh ... I'm his son ... Ren Tsukino."  
  
"His son? The national hero had a son?" Surprise  
was evident in the man's tone. "Why, we've only  
ever heard about his daughter. I wonder why no  
one ever mentioned anything when he gave birth  
to a son?"  
  
The officer looked closely at Serena, and she held  
her breath in fear. Her heart was pounding   
furiously. She'd forgotten that her father was  
such a famous figure. People would be scrutinizing  
her all the time, to compare her with her father.  
  
"Please," she prayed to herself, "please let me  
pass this first test."  
  
"Well," said the officer with new found respect  
for the son of a national hero, "You seem to look   
like him. Go on ahead."  
  
"Yes Sir!"  
  
She turned around, heaving a deep sigh of relief.  
  
"Halt!"  
  
Uh oh. Once again, she turned around, trying  
to show none of the worry she was feeling inside.  
  
The man at the table grinned at her. "You need  
to know which cabin to go to, obviously."  
  
Sheepishly, she nodded.  
  
"First cabin on the left is where all of your  
group is meeting with your group leader. You're  
very lucky. You've got the entire camp leader  
as your group leader. He's also the most powerful,  
so suck up to him, and you'll be fine."  
  
Serena smiled brilliantly at the man, happy to   
have made a good impression, and restrained   
herself from skipping off to find the cabin.  
  
The man at the table was speechless. That smile.  
It was almost .... beautiful ...  
  
"Had a rather beautiful son, Ken Tsukino did, and  
probably wanted to protect him from the world,  
so he kept it a secret. His skin is too smooth  
to have had done much rough work in his life.   
Ah well. Rather scatter brained, this son of   
his is."  
  
  
  
-----------  
  
  
Serena could see men of different ages mingling  
around the cabin as she approached it. Most were  
young, perhaps in their twenties. A few were  
older, in their forties.  
  
She noticed a few in the corner, men who needed  
canes to walk, men who were weak, men who were  
old. If they were to fight, they wouldn't stand  
a chance, she knew.  
  
And with that Serena resolved that those people would   
be the first people she would befriend. She walked   
over to them but before she could strike up any sort   
of conversation, attention was called.  
  
"Your camp leader will say a few introductory words."  
  
With growing horror, Serena watched as a man with  
dark hair and a distinct black eye walked up in front   
of them.  
  
He hadn't glanced her way yet, and was already   
starting his talk. Serena's mind was whirling,   
unprepared for this sudden surprise.   
  
"Welcome, men, to training camp. You are here to   
fight for our country. We are here to help you become   
strong ...."  
  
She never heard a word he said; only thought about   
what she would say to him afterwards. He didn't  
seem to happy about that black eye, and she knew  
he losing face about it.  
  
Two men standing behind her snickered quietly.  
"Look at our Captain, he has a black eye! Some  
fighter he must be. Wonder what the fight was  
about."  
  
"I heard that he is the best fighter in the country."  
The second man was perplexed. "Who do you figure  
could have punched him so hard?"  
  
"Probably a woman," returned the first. "I've heard  
he's a major heartbreaker. He never pays attention  
to any of the girls. Perhaps one of them finally  
got mad at him for being ignorant. Hehe"  
  
Serena felt worse, hearing them. The black eye that  
she had given him was causing him to lose reputation.  
Yet another cause for him to hate her.  
  
Still, she felt sure that he would be nice enough to  
forgive her. She'd just go up to him afterwards, and  
return his wallet, and all would be well.  
  
  
".... and that is all. Thank you, and good luck to  
you all. You will find sleeping and training arrange-  
ments posted on the far left wall."  
  
The talk had ended. Darien was walking towards the  
exit and the other men were crowded around the posted  
signs.  
  
Darien felt a gentle tap on his shoulder. Very gentle.  
He turned around, and gaped.  
  
There was the young man that punched him! What was  
that prankster up to now? He smirked inside. The  
young man was in his camp and he was the leader. He  
could now start planning his revenge.  
  
"Excuse me, sir. " Serena began timidly. "I wanted   
to..."  
  
"Who the hell do you think you are, boy?" Darien was  
not going to wait to say what he had to say. "You   
had no right to go around jumping to conclusions the  
way you did this morning. Did you know in fact that  
those kids had stolen my wallet? Would you rather  
kids not be punished when they have done wrong?"  
  
"But ..."  
  
"The world needs honorable men. Men who understand  
what is right and what is wrong. You need to learn  
more about the world, which is why army camp is going  
to be good for you."  
  
"I ..."  
  
"You should not go around meddling in other people's  
affairs, in the first place. It is one of the basic  
rules of life to mind your own business. The easiest  
way to get into trouble is to bother others. What  
might have been nothing important might become a   
disaster."  
  
"You ..."  
  
"I shall say nothing more to you. I hope you have  
learned your lesson and will improve your manner in  
the future."  
  
And with that Darien walked away, leaving Serena  
standing there speechless, staring at his retreating  
back.  
  
Serena was fuming inside. He'd never given her a   
chance to speak or to explain herself. He'd just  
assumed she was what he thought she was. What a  
selfish, egotistical jerk!  
  
"I guess he wasn't the nice person I thought he  
was either." she said to herself. "We'll see if  
I ever give this wallet back to you."  
  
  
  
  
-----------  
  
They're not off to a great start, are they? ^.^  
  
  
  
Below is the original poem, which is the basis of  
the entire legend of Mulan (a real heroine, not  
just a myth). She wasn't quite the heroine as  
portrayed by Disney (rather unrealistically, though  
cutely), but she definitely made a big contribution  
to China's winning of the war during that time. My   
story does not follow it very exactly (though I   
wanted to).  
  
I'm currently translating it from Chinese to English   
myself, into what I hope is a more elegant form of   
the poem. I'll have that up with the next chapter   
or two.  
  
  
  
  
  
Moni-chan  
  
  
The Original Poem  
Anonymous (5th or 6th century AD)  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Tsiek tsiek and again tsiek tsiek,  
Mu-lan weaves, facing the door.  
You don't hear the shuttle's sound,  
You only hear Daughter's sighs.  
  
They ask Daughter who's in her heart,  
They ask Daughter who's on her mind.  
"No one is in Daughter's heart,  
No one is on Daughter's mind.  
  
Last night I saw the draft posters,  
The Khan is calling many troops,  
The army list is in twelve scrolls,  
On every scroll there's Father's name.  
  
Father has no grown-up son,  
Mu-lan has no elder brother.  
I want to buy a saddle and a horse,  
And serve in the army in Father's place."  
  
In the East Market she buys a spirited horse,  
In the West Market she buys a saddle,  
In the South Market she buys a bridle,  
In the North Market she buys a long whip.  
  
At dawn she takes leave of Father and Mother,  
In the evening camps on the Yellow River's bank.  
She doesn't hear the sound of Father and Mother calling,  
She only hear the Yellow River's flowing water cry tsien tsien.  
  
At dawn she takes leave of the Yellow River,  
In the evening she arrives at Black Mountain.  
She doesn't hear the sound of Father and Mother calling,  
She only hears Mount Yen's nomad horses cry tsiu tsiu.  
  
She goes ten thousand miles on the business of war,  
She crosses passes and mountains like flying.  
Northern gusts carry the rattle of army pots,  
Chilly light shines on iron armor.  
  
Generals die in a hundred battles,  
Stout soldiers return after ten years.  
On her return she sees the Son of Heaven,  
The Son of Heaven sits in the Splendid Hall.  
  
He gives out promotions in twelve ranks  
And prizes of a hundred thousand and more.  
The Khan asks her what she desires.  
"Mu-lan has no use for a minister's post.  
I wish to ride a swift mount  
To take me back to my home."  
  
When Father and Mother hear Daughter is coming  
They go outside the wall to meet her, leaning on each other.  
When Elder Sister hears Younger Sister is coming  
She fixes her rouge, facing the door.  
When Little Brother hears Elder Sister is coming  
He whets the knife, quick quick, for pig and sheep.  
  
"I open the door to my east chamber,  
I sit on my couch in the west room,  
I take off my wartime gown  
And put on my old-time clothes."  
  
Facing the window she fixes her cloudlike hair,  
Hanging up a mirror she dabs on yellow flower-powder.  
She goes out the door and sees her comrades.  
Her comrades are all amazed and perplexed.  
Traveling together for twelve years  
They didn't know Mu-lan was a girl.  
  
"The he-hare's feet go hop and skip,  
The she-hare's eyes are muddled and fuddled.  
Two hares running side by side close to the ground,  
How can they tell if I am he or she?"  
  
  
  
Here's a link to the Chinese verson of the poem.  
  
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Bluffs/8536/poemc.html 


	3. Heroine - Chapter Two

Standard Disclaimers Apply.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
This is the story of the bravest girl to grace her world,   
and the trials of her life.  
  
Based very loosely upon the story of Mulan, a true heroine  
in her own right.  
  
  
  
Heroine  
A Serena and Darien Alternate Reality Fic  
  
by Moni-chan  
  
monichan@telus.net  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 2  
  
  
  
  
  
Most of the other men had witnessed the encounter between Serena and  
Darien. By the time Serena had found her cabin, she was the talk of   
the entire camp, which had deduced that she was the person who had   
punched their Captain. Most people thought she was crazy for being to   
brash; others were impressed. She was famous.  
  
When she walked into the cabin, all heads turned up and looked at her   
for a moment, then turned away and voices milled about quietly for a   
while.   
  
Serena sighed, wondering if she'd just been categorized as an outcast,   
and went about organizing her things. Her backpack was old and dirty   
compared to the others', but she didn't really care. First, she took   
out her night - clothes. She'd picked everything out carefully to make   
sure of not being discovered. She'd sneakily taken the nightclothes   
from her father's closet.  
  
"Yo Ren Tsukino!" A loud voice jolted Serena out of her tasks. She   
looked up slowly, to find a silver-haired guy standing in front of her,   
sneering slightly.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"You're the son of Ken Tsukino, aren't you? The GREAT Ken Tsukino?"   
The man's voice was dripping with sarcasm. One small clan of men in the   
room was hooting at them. The others were silent. Watching.  
  
"Yes?" Serena knew about being cautious. She could see the menace in   
this man, see the movements of his muscles in preparation for any   
tricks he might pull."  
  
"And you're the one who gave our Captain a black eye?"  
  
"Yes," she sighed with exasperation. "But it was only because I   
thought ..."  
  
He wouldn't let her finish.  
  
"Then I challenge you."  
  
There, the words were spoken. The entire cabin was deadly quiet.  
  
Serena looked at him, still sneering at her, looked around them, at the   
watchful eyes. She said, quietly,  
  
"I don't want to fight."  
  
The man looked at her in surprise for a moment.   
  
"Then you are a coward. The son of Ken Tsukino is a COWARD!" His   
voice was cruel. "Imagine when I tell this to my hometown. Soon the   
entire country will know that Ken Tsukino, the great hero, has a coward   
for a son! No wonder why he never told anyone of his son! No one   
wants a coward for a son!"  
  
His clan of followers cheered him on, screaming at the top of lungs:   
"COWARD, COWARD, COWARD"  
  
Serena was in turmoil. At one end, she wanted to fight him just for   
being such a bully. But she knew that fighting was the worst way to   
get settled in camp.   
  
"COWARD, COWARD, COWARD!"  
  
If what he threatened was real, then her father would be disgraced,   
before she even had a chance to prove herself! She couldn't let that   
happen. One of the main reasons why her father wanted to risk his life   
in war was to retain their family honor, and now ...  
  
She stood up unsteadily, hands in tight fists.  
  
"I accept your challenge."  
  
"Fantastic." The man smirked evilly.  
  
Before anyone could blink, the man had shot out a hand, ready to flip   
Serena over on her back, in a gesture that was fundamentally cheating.  
  
The room gasped, but relaxed when Serena's hand rose in a blur and   
blocked it. The man was surprised, and tried to wrestle his hand out,   
to no avail.  
  
Serena on her part, was surprised at the strength of this trainee. He   
was stronger than she, and she could feel it, and he would be out of   
her grasp very soon. So she did the first thing she could think of:   
She talked.  
  
"WAIT!" Her voice rang clear and startled everyone in the cabin. It   
succeeded its purpose, and even the silver-haired man looked up at the   
moment.  
  
She smiled sweetly. "You know my name, but I don't believe I know   
yours."  
  
"Huh?" Pure dumbfoundment.  
  
"I said that I don't know my opponent's .. NAME!" She struggled to   
finish her sentence in surprise when he finally escaped her grasp.  
  
The fighting began.  
  
The cabin watched in amazement at the two highly skilled fighters.   
Arms and legs flew in blurs, at speeds too high to be able to see   
clearly.  
  
Serena was having a hard time. She knew she was good, and she also   
knew that she hadn't finished her training when she came here. This   
silver-haired guy was easily her equal. If she hadn't known a few   
select techniques her father had taught her before, she would have been   
defeated much earlier. She was concentrating so hard on her fighting   
that she never heard someone outside of the cabin look in with wide   
eyes, then run off to yell "FIGHT!" to tell all the people in the other   
cabins.  
  
A good half-hour had passed, and Serena and the other man were both   
clearly tired. Cuts and bruises were everywhere on their bodies. Yet   
neither would give up.  
  
  
  
-----------------  
  
  
  
Darien was walking outside, enjoying the winter night air, when he saw   
a huge crowd of people gathered around one cabin. They were hooting   
and yelling incomprehensible things. Quickly he walked over, afraid   
to find gambling. But nothing prepared him for what he was about to   
see.  
  
Two people where fighting. And these two were both skilled fighters.   
His highly trained eyes saw the strength of one, and the agility of   
the other. They both had great potential, yet both were still very   
unrefined in their technique.   
  
"Damn," he sighed, "I can't believe we already have fights starting.   
Those usually don't start until a month or two into training. This   
year is going to be complicated, for sure."  
  
With a high leap, he quickly jumped into the fray. The two fighters   
were surprised by the sudden change, and were quickly lying helpless at   
his feet.  
  
Darien glared at them. Ren Tsukino was involved. It figured. That boy   
probably was doing his best to get into trouble or something.  
  
"First he punches me," Darien mumbled to himself, "Now he's fighting on   
the first day. What a trouble maker."  
  
And he would never have suspected Diamond to be involved! Diamond was   
the youngest son of a high nobleman, sent to train his ability for the   
war. His father was one of the most honored men in the country, and   
everyone knew that his son was noble in personality as well as in   
looks.  
  
"It couldn't have been Diamond who started this mess." Darien thought.  
  
"I can not believe what has happened tonight," Darien's voice was stern   
in reprimand. "It is thoroughly dishonorable to be fighting your own   
men. We are here to fight our enemy. If you spend all your energy   
fighting amongst yourselves and killing yourselves, who will protect   
our village? Who will save all our country?"  
  
"But he ..." Serena couldn't stop herself. It wasn't her fault! That   
silver-haired man had been threatening to disgrace her father.  
  
Before she could continue, Diamond quickly cut in. "I am sorry,   
Captain. It will never happen again."  
  
"But he ..."  
  
"No more!" Darien all but roared. "Ren, you need to learn and accept   
what others tell you. Listen to what I say and learn from it. If I   
ever catch you in any more trouble, you are really going to get it.   
Good night. I expect you to be up at the crack of dawn tomorrow   
morning."  
  
After Darien left, the other people left as well, quietly. Those still   
in this cabin pitied Serena, for they knew she only fought Diamond   
because she was forced to. But they were scared to talk to her; after   
all, Diamond's clan was very menacing.  
  
Serena lay on her cot, furious. She wanted to kick Darien on the back   
of his head. In fact, she was a lot angrier at Darien than at Diamond.   
Diamond had challenged her, bullied her into fighting.   
  
  
Yet Darien had told her to understand the situation before acting   
rashly. He had just stopped their fight without trying to understand   
what had caused it in the first place!  
  
"What a first-class jerk," she said to herself. "Telling me to do   
whatever. Well, he is my leader, so I guess I'll have to listen to him   
anyway. I really should go to him and explain what happened, but like   
he'd believe me!"  
  
She laughed rather bitterly. "I bet he thinks that I'm a troublemaker   
who is obsessed with fighting. There's no way I'll get any respect   
this way."  
  
She lay in thought for a while.  
  
"But I'll show them when training starts. I'll learn harder and work   
harder than any of them, and I'll be the best. I'll go to war and   
become a hero, just like my father, and then Darien will have to   
respect me."  
  
And with that last determined thought. Serena drifted off into a   
restless sleep.  
  
  
  
  
-----------------  
  
  
  
  
When Serena was determined, she was determined. Elements of her   
father's stubbornness were evident in her personality sometimes. And   
this was one of those times.  
  
She was up before the first call of the rooster. That was nothing new   
for her, since she'd always a light sleeper [note: what a contrast from   
our beloved anime Serena!], and her mother had always required her to   
wake up before the rest of the family to do chores.  
  
After quickly dressing and washing up, Serena left to find a solitary   
place to practice her fighting techniques.  
  
The winter air felt great to Serena, and she pranced about happily for   
a while, swinging arms and whirling around. Her town never had much   
snow, so she found a stick and drew pictures in the snow.  
  
She was engrossed in her drawing; she never noticed Darien staring at   
her from the window of his cabin.  
  
Darien was indeed staring at her. He'd never known a guy who could be   
so un-boyish. Well, Ren was violent, to be sure, but at times like   
this, Darien could swear that Ren looked like a child, innocent and   
happy, playing in the snow.  
  
He shook his head. Ren wasn't so innocent, in daily life. Perhaps, he   
was just a misunderstood child, spoiled by a famous father figure.   
  
Darien couldn't help smiling when he saw Ren throw out his hands and   
twirl. Actually, he puzzled, the movements of the boy in the snow were   
smooth and graceful, almost that of a girl's.  
  
Ren, a girl?  
  
Darien laughed at himself. With that sharp voice of his? With that   
violent nature? He hoped there would never be a girl like that! He'd   
pity any man that would marry a girl like that!  
  
Darien closed his drapes, almost unwillingly tearing his eyes away from   
a joyful Ren. It was a long time since he'd been as happy or as   
carefree as Ren.  
  
His mother had been sick for over ten years, every day hovering between   
consciousness and unconsciousness. It had been tough, since Darien had   
only been a boy of twelve years when he first heard his mother had   
collapsed. She had many people to take care of her, but his mind was   
uneasy.  
  
Darien yawned. It was still so early.   
  
"That Ren must be absolutely crazy," he muttered to himself, before   
going back to sleep.  
  
Serena had finished her romp in the snow and was now as energetic as   
ever to get her self-training started. She walked around, but   
everywhere was quiet. There were no birds in the trees, no hum of the   
wind, no hustle and bustle of people waking up.   
  
She wandered about, to the edge of the camp, desperate to find some   
signs of life. There were guards at the main entrances, so she   
couldn't leave camp. After fifteen minutes, she came to a little   
forest. It was huge, this forest, and in the early morning light it   
was extremely foreboding.  
  
With caution in her step, Serena slowly entered the forest.  
  
  
  
  
  
-----------------  
  
  
  
  
"Line!"  
  
"March! One! Two! One! Two! Halt!"  
  
Men turned in surprised when they heard the last order.   
  
Ren Tsukino was running was running breakneck speed back to camp.   
  
"I'm sorry sir!" she panted towards Darien, but "I got lost ... "  
  
Darien groaned. More trouble. "Ren, how on earth CAN you get lost in   
this camp? There are directions to the training ground everywhere!"  
  
"Well ... " Serena hesitated. It was not allowed for soldiers to leave   
campgrounds on non-rest days. She knew that she'd be in more trouble   
if she told Darien the truth.  
  
"I'm sorry, sir. I guess I didn't notice them."  
  
Diamond laughed outright.  
  
Darien looked at her in surprise. Could the son of Ken Tsukino really   
be so dimwitted? There really were signs all over the camp, and he'd   
told them the directions only about ten times yesterday during the   
orientation.  
  
A little suspicion creeped into Darien's mind but he squashed it   
immediately. No one dared to break camp rules on the first day. There   
was no way Ren Tsukino could have left camp without being noticed.   
  
"Fine." he sighed. "Get in line."  
  
"I want you all to run ten circles around this camp."  
  
  
  
  
-----------------  
  
  
  
  
It had been a week of intense training for the entire camp. Even   
Serena and Diamond, the two most skilled soldiers in their group, were   
extremely tired.  
  
Things had been intense between the two ever since that first fight.   
Neither talked to the other, but the quick glances and the unspoken   
challenges were evident to all in the camp.  
  
Serena had calmed down somewhat, about Darien. "These few days, he's   
just been a harsh trainer, and he hasn't done anything to me." she said   
to herself. "Perhaps he's forgiven me. Then I can go return his   
wallet to him. If he ever finds this wallet on me, he'll probably   
think that I convinced those bratty kids to steal it from him and then   
give it to me."  
  
The primitive lamps in the cabin were blown out. Serena stretched on  
her back. "I don't know about Diamond. He's such an strange person,   
and I know he's trying his hardest so he can be better than me."  
  
A pause.  
  
"I don't think I trust him. He seems to be planning something. His   
eyes are always watching me. I hope he doesn't figure out that I'm a   
girl."  
  
A sigh.  
  
"I guess, if he does, then I'll be in big trouble."  
  
And her heavy eyelids finally overpowered her, and she slept.  
  
  
  
  
-----------------  
  
  
  
"It's been a month, already, and you most of you guys are pretty   
pathetic!" Darien's voice seemed harsh and cruel. "You have to learn   
to work even harder if you're going to be any good against the enemy."  
  
Darien paced up and down, frustrated with his group. They weren't bad,   
he knew, but he knew that they had much more potential. And the enemy   
was strong. He'd fought them just a few months ago when they launched   
their first attack. A few of their men could easily wipe out his   
current army camp. He was seriously worried about the well being of   
their country.  
  
"Our enemies are biologically much larger and stronger than we are. If   
we want to out fight them, we need a strategy! We need to be quick   
with our minds and quick with our bodies."  
  
"Physically," he continued, "you rate of progress is alright. But what   
you lack is fast reflexes."  
  
Darien stopped in front of Diamond and sent a punch flying. The latter   
was surprised; however, he managed to catch it in time.  
  
"THAT," continued Darien, "is what you need to train. THAT is good   
reflex timing. Today you will be pairing up and training your   
reflexes."  
  
Serena could barely stand in her spot. Her reflexes were one of her   
strong points. It would be a great day to show off her ability and   
prove that the son of Ken Tsukino was better than the other's had   
thought.  
  
"One last thing. It has been required for several people to be   
assigned to kitchen duty."  
  
Groans could be heard throughout the line.  
  
"Kitchen duty is for the delinquent, those that are not on time for   
duty," Darien looked pointedly at Serena, "or always talking during   
training," he glanced at four other men who were mumbling within   
themselves and they immediately shut up, "or those who don't put any   
extra effort into their fighting."  
  
Oh no no no, Serena's apprehension grew, he wouldn't ....  
  
"Unless you can prove themselves more diligent students, Malachite,   
Jadeite, Nephrite, Zoicyte, and Ren, I will have to assign you to   
kitchen duty. Please step aside and head over towards the kitchen."  
  
Serena was furious, again. How could he be so cruel! She glared at   
Darien, and saw that he was going to be stubborn about his decision.  
  
He wasn't going to even give her a chance.  
  
The men in the lineup looked on nervously, as they knew Ren Tsukino's   
sometimes, rather explosive, temper.  
  
Darien looked back at Ren, warily, body ready for any physical attack   
Ren might jump at him. He breathed an inaudible sigh of relief when   
Ren turned around angrily and stalked away.  
  
It wasn't that he didn't like the boy, Darien had reasoned with himself   
that morning, but Ren Tsukino needed to be taught a lesson. Darien saw   
Ren arise early every morning and then disappear. He knew Ren would   
leave camp and return late to training practice, tired and out of   
breath.  
  
What was Ren doing? For some reason, Darien had an intense curiosity   
to find out, yet there was no way he could follow Ren in such bare camp   
grounds without being found out easily. Then Ren would just get in   
trouble and Darien still would be clueless about where he went.  
  
Serena didn't even dare glance at Diamond. He must have been smirking   
again. Imagine her father hearing that his son in the military was a   
delinquent. He would be disappointed in her, she knew he would. And   
she was trying so hard to do her best.  
  
Here she was in military camp, and she was going to be washing dishes   
and cooking, just like a girl. It was the ultimate irony.  
  
Who were the other four who were stuck with kitchen duty with her?   
They were the four brothers, somehow through some highly unlikely odds,   
ended up in the same military camp. They were some of the laziest   
people she'd ever seen, never listening to Darien when he was teaching,   
always mumbling some gossip or other.   
  
"Hi." she stuck out her hand, hoping they wouldn't ignore her, "I'm   
Ren, but you probably know that by now."  
  
The four men looked at each other, before shaking her hand. "You can   
call us Mal, Jed, Neph, and Zoi. Our names are pretty long."  
  
"Umm..." They paused. "Do you know how to cook? Because we don't."  
  
Ren smiled. "I'll cook. But you'll do all the dishes, ok?"  
  
The four smiled. "Deal."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
-----------------  
  
  
  
  
Another month passed by. Though Serena was left out of training; when  
she wasn't cooking, she always went to watch the others. She learned a   
lot, just watching, and absorbing. It was hard, but she learned to   
respect Darien's teaching methods. She couldn't say that she admired   
him as a person, but he did teach well.  
  
Serena's cooking was a hit. She was popular with the members of her   
cabin, solely for the reason that she cooked well. She was humorous   
and energetic, that only made her more friendly in their eyes.   
Diamond, well, Diamond seemed to have accepted her as well. They still   
didn't speak much, but they didn't glare at each other much either.  
  
Only a week had passed after she'd been assigned kitchen duty, before   
Mal had come up to her and point blank asked her to teach him to fight   
on her own. She had been flattered, but had seen the firm   
determination in his eyes. When she asked him why he wanted to learn   
so suddenly, he had responded that he wanted to show the other men in   
camp that he wasn't useless at all.  
  
True to her word, she trained him. Jed, Neph, and Zoi were quick to   
follow, and she helped them all, everyday, when she wasn't watching the   
normal soldiers. Serena learned a lot from teaching others. All of   
her old techniques, they fully made sense now, and she with that   
understanding, she improvised newer and more efficient moves. On their   
day off, they would walk to the local library and borrow books teaching   
all the different types of fighting. Or if they had enough time, they   
would walk to the theatre and watch martial art shows.  
  
They became a close knit group, Serena was regarded as their leader.   
When they were ready, they would go show Darien exactly what he had   
thought was 'delinquent.'  
  
  
  
  
-----------------  
  
  
  
"Ack! Jed! Don't eat that yet! It's super .... " Serena tried to   
warn him.  
  
"YOW!" That was Jadeite.  
  
Too late. Jed had already chugged down a big gulp of the burning hot   
soup. Serena had to laugh at the picture he made, spinning madly on   
the kitchen floor.  
  
"What's going on here?" Zoicyte walked in. "Mmmmm, something smells   
great. Ren, you cook better than my mother!"  
  
Ren glared at him.  
  
"I don't mean you're umm.... feminine or anything, just that ..... you  
know .... you cook extraordinary for a guy. "  
  
"Uh huh. There are exceptions to rules, you know. Just because I'm a   
guy doesn't mean I wasn't taught how to cook when I was young." Serena  
giggled to herself. It was partly true. Her mother had almost given   
up teaching her how to cook when she was 12, because she was too   
tomboyish, and too untalented. But her mother had persisted, and   
Serena was grateful for that.  
  
It HAD helped her relationships with other members of her group.  
  
"Ren! Jed! Zoi!" That was Mal shouting from the outside. "You have   
GOT to come and see this."  
  
They all rushed outside, and gaped at the spectacle of Darien   
practicing his sword technique to show the other men an example of how   
it should be done.  
  
Serena was amazed. He was so beautiful, smooth moves and turns. She   
wasn't even anywhere close to as skillful as he was. How on earth had   
she even managed to punch him that first day?  
  
He must have been really surprised, she mused, to have been caught off   
guard. He seemed as good as her father when younger.  
  
She was deep in thought, and never noticed a dark figure creep into the  
kitchen and creep out one minute later.  
  
  
That night, no one got any sleep. The men lay on their beds, sick,   
clutching their stomachs, apparently poisoned.  
  
Serena, Malachite, Jadeite, Nephrite, and Zoicyte stood in front of   
Darien as he scrutinized them.  
  
"There is no way for EVERY person in our group to be poisoned unless it  
was contaminated water or contaminated food. Either way, it would have  
stemmed from the Kitchen. As the kitchen crew, what have you to say   
for yourselves."  
  
The five people looked at each other, dismayed. They didn't know how   
it could have happened.  
  
Serena was puzzled. It did make sense that the problem originated from  
the kitchen. But how? At least one of them was in the kitchen at all   
times during the day. She would show some boys some moves in the early  
morning and would prepare breakfast while they practiced. Then one of   
them would prepare lunch while she went to watch Darien train her   
group. Only ....  
  
It couldn't be. They'd only been out of the room once, to watch   
Darien, and only for a few minutes. Could it be that somebody sneaked   
into the room during that time and poisoned their food?  
  
Darien's voice jolted her from her thoughts. "What if this was war   
right now? If all of our men were be poisoned and the enemy was   
approaching. I thought that giving you kitchen duty was a simple task.  
It's only been a month, and already you have messed up." He sighed   
and added quietly. "I appreciate your cooking, and as much as I don't   
want to, I have to deal out punishment."  
  
"For your crime of ignorance or for just not paying attention to the   
cooking, I will have to punish you each with twenty whiplashes."  
  
Serena gasped. It was her fault, really. She was the one that cooked  
the meal. The others were responsible for setting tables and washing   
dishes. It would only be fair if she took the full blame.  
  
But she knew that it would be hard for anybody to survive, even, with  
one hundred whiplashes.  
  
Still.  
  
"Sir." Darien glanced at her in surprise. He wasn't expecting such   
calmness from Ren. "It was entirely my fault, as I was the one cooking   
today. Please, spare my friends and punish only me."  
  
The four brothers looked at her in surprise. Their eyes pleaded with   
her not to do it, but she was determined to keep them out of trouble.  
  
Darien looked at her in surprise as well. So Ren Tsukino did have a   
sense of honor. A picture of Ren laughing joyfully in the snow plagued   
him suddenly, and he suddenly didn't want to punish the boy anymore.   
But his word was his word.  
  
"Alright, Ren. I accept your offer." He said. "One hundred whiplashes   
it is."  
  
The brothers gasped. They didn't want Ren to die.   
  
But they noticed Darien walking up to the person about to deliver the   
torture and whisper. "Keep them light."   
  
Serena didn't. She was lying, still fully clothed, face down on the   
table. She waited for the lashes with a kind of acceptance of her   
fate. It was her fault, so she deserved these.  
  
And as the lashes descended, she thought, who was it that must have   
sneaked into the kitchen?  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Thank you for your feedback! I really appreciate   
it since I've always considered myself rather   
English incompetent ^.^ I luv reviews! ^.^  
  
The next part will have to take a few while,   
because my exams are coming up. But thanks for   
putting up with me so far!  
  
Whoo! What's Diamond doing here?  
  
I, personally, just want to skip everything and   
write the romantic parts, but hey, this stuff is   
necessary ... sigh  
  
Moni-chan  
monichan@telus.net 


	4. Heroine - Chapter Three

Standard Disclaimers Apply.  
  
  
  
This is the story of the bravest girl to grace her world,   
and the trials of her life.  
  
Based very loosely upon the story of Mulan, a true heroine  
in her own right.  
  
  
  
Heroine  
A Serena and Darien Alternate Reality Fic  
  
by Moni-chan  
  
monichan@telus.net  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 3  
  
  
  
"Gently, now. Easy on him."  
  
"Ouch. That looks really painful."  
  
"Ren, do you have to be so strong-willed? You know we   
should have shared the punishment."  
  
"Yeah, what gave you the idea that you were the only person   
to blame, anyway?"  
  
"Well, who on earth poisoned the food? At least one of us   
was always there!"  
  
"Whoa, I think he's trying to talk."  
  
"Water!"  
  
A glass of water was hurriedly brought.  
  
Serena felt like her body was painfully on fire. She knew   
that those lashes were lighter than they should have been;   
perhaps the person delivering the punishment had felt sorry   
for her. She could only lie face down; Serena knew that   
her entire backside must be bloody and torn.  
  
"It was my fault." She struggled to ignore the pain. "When   
we were ... watching Darien ..."  
  
"Not everything is your responsibility, Ren." Malachite was   
frustrated. "It was as much my fault then as it was yours,   
since I was the one who called you out."  
  
"Why?"  
  
All heads turned towards the motionless body lying on the   
bed.  
  
"Why would anyone want to poison our soldiers? And why   
didn't he fatally poison us? They could have easily done   
so." Serena's mind puzzled through her thoughts. "What did   
he have to gain?"  
  
"True," Jadeite mused. "Maybe it was Diamond trying to get   
back at you after so long."  
  
Nephrite spoke up. "It's possible, but Diamond is more of   
the type who would rather fight face to face rather than   
subtly try to get Ren in trouble."  
  
"Maybe it was someone trying to play a prank ..."  
  
"Some prank."  
  
Serena couldn't listen to them anymore. Her mind was   
spinning ...  
  
  
No one except high ranking officers are allowed into camp   
during daytime or nighttime. Those that come in, need to   
show their identification cards. The camp had high walls   
surrounding it, and it would be impossible to scale it and   
climb down the wall without several guards noticing.   
  
There was only one way in besides the grand entrance, and   
that would be from the exit to the large forest. Even so,   
it would take ten minutes of walking in plain view to reach   
the kitchen. Surely, one of the many guards or men would   
have noticed the intruder ... unless ...  
  
spinning ....  
  
The intruder was either one of the soldiers or had contact   
with one of them.  
  
  
"It must be," Serena whispered to herself.  
  
It would explain how the intruder would be familiar enough   
with the surroundings to slip in and out of the kitchen and   
disappear within a few minutes. It would explain why no   
soldier or guard had seen any mysterious personas.  
  
"The enemy." she whispered with a dawning horror. The enemy   
who had already infiltrated their training grounds.   
  
spinning ....  
  
He must have poisoned the camp so he could accomplish   
something. That night, everyone was in their cabins, sick,   
and she and her friends were with Darien. Even many of the   
guards had been feeling unwell.  
  
He could have easily snuck out of the camp into the forest   
and come back without being noticed.  
  
"But, why?" In her rationalizations, Serena needed a motive.  
  
He couldn't have stolen anything from Darien's cabin that   
night, since she and her friends had been there most of the   
night. He couldn't have wanted to steal money, since no one   
had reported any loss of possessions.  
  
What could he have wanted? Perhaps, he was only   
communicating about the current state of training within the   
camp to a higher boss.   
  
Serena's mind was set. This was the only conclusion she   
could come to. She hoped she was right. There really was   
no one she could talk to. Her 'brothers' wouldn't really   
understand, and Darien wouldn't listen to her as usual. She   
didn't trust anyone in her cabin, and she definitely didn't   
trust Diamond.  
  
Until she found proof, Serena prayed that nothing bad would   
happen to their camp.  
  
"Ren! Ren!"  
  
Serena was jolted out of her thoughts by a loud Jadeite.  
  
"Yes, Jed?"  
  
"We've spent the last ten minutes calling your name. We   
thought you passed out or something."  
  
"Yeah." Nephrite chimed in. "We want to thank you Ren, for   
taking the punishment for us. You are a true friend."  
  
"Uh huh. You didn't have to though."  
  
"Mal, shut up! We're supposed to make her feel better!"  
  
"Don't 'shut up' me. I would rather have taken some blows   
myself than to see Ren in this much pain."  
  
Serena giggled to herself. These boys really were hilarious   
at times. Sometimes, she was almost thankful that she had   
been assigned kitchen duty, or else she would never have met   
such wonderful people.  
  
"Speaking of pain and feeling better," Zoicyte piped up, "I   
have some great skin medicine that I brought from home for   
injuries and heavy cuts. I'll go get it from my room.   
We'll rub it on your back for you, and you'll be better in   
no time!"  
  
Back? Rub it on her skin? That would mean taking off her   
clothes.  
  
"NO!"  
  
Four pairs of eyes stared at her incredulously.  
  
She toned down her voice, "Umm ... my skin is just really   
sensitive guys, .... I can't use any skin medicine ...   
because .... uhh ..... it umm ... GIVES ME RASH! Yeah,   
that's it. I get all itchy after that.  
  
Please, she prayed, please let it work.  
  
It didn't.  
  
"This is really good medicine. I wasn't studying to be a   
doctor for nothing, you know." Zoicyte was offended. "I'll   
be right back. We'll try a little bit, and then you can   
see."  
  
"WAIT!"  
  
Four pairs of eyes looked at her expectantly.  
  
Serena was panicking. She had to prevent this. "I just   
don't like taking medicine, OK?"  
  
Mal smirked. "Ren. You're not afraid of one hundred   
whiplashes, but you're afraid of taking skin medicine.   
You're not even going to be drinking it."  
  
"Don't worry," said Jed, "nothing's going to happen to you."  
  
"NO! I can't!" Serena was almost in tears.  
  
"Is something wrong, Ren? You can always tell us you know."  
  
She decided to use their caring nature to her full   
advantage. She felt guilty, but this was a dire case. If   
she were found out, they might not tell, but they would   
treat her differently, and then others would notice. And   
she had to figure out who the enemy was first before   
anything ...  
  
Ok, Serena, she told herself, play up on the tears.  
  
"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! I just, I just have a bad history with,   
with all kinds of medicine ... bad .... medicine ...   
WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA"  
  
The sound of Serena shrieking could be heard even outside   
the camp.  
  
The four men in the room covered their ears in pain. When   
she finally stopped screaming, Zoicyte timidly offered,  
  
"Maybe lets forget about medicine then ..."  
  
Malachite was slowly inching towards the doorway.   
  
"Yeah ... Ren, just relax, and ummm ... we'll go get you   
some hot soup!"  
  
"BYE!" Four voices chorused as they scrambled out of the   
door as fast as they could.  
  
Serena really had tears now, but this time from laughing so   
hard.  
  
"I guess my all those singing lessons mom made me take were   
really useful. Man, I didn't know I could scream that loud   
either. "  
  
  
The entire camp had heard that scream. Darien included.  
  
He had winced, wondering if the person delivering the  
punishment had still been too rough on Ren. Poor guy, he   
thought. One hundred whiplashes must be hurting pretty bad.   
  
He felt guilty, for some reason.   
  
"Darien, watch yourself." he scolded himself mentally. "Ren   
deserved what he got. He asked for the full punishment   
himself. You've never felt so bad about delivering   
punishment before."  
  
But he couldn't stop the picture of a laughing Ren in the   
snow from playing in his mind. What was with him? He felt   
as though Ren was only meant to be happy, but why on earth   
would he think that way?  
  
He'd have to watch the boy more closely the next few days.   
"This time, when Ren disappears again, I'll know where he   
goes."  
  
He paused, trying to reason with himself. "I'm not   
intruding on his personal business. Ren is a soldier of   
mine, and I have to take care of him. Besides, it's   
forbidden to leave camp grounds. Ren should know that,   
shouldn't he?"  
  
  
  
  
--------  
  
  
  
It was Diamond. Serena couldn't believe it, but it was late   
at night when she heard some rustling in her cabin.   
Pretending to be asleep, she saw one of the soldiers from   
her group stealthily dress himself in black, a color that   
wasn't allowed in camp.  
  
Why else would anyone dress themselves in such a color?   
  
Serena knew she had to follow him. Thankful that lightness   
and agility were to her advantage, she waited until he left   
the cabin before she got up and followed him.  
  
Almost to her expectations, she saw him head towards the   
forest. Diamond was a good fighter, and she felt the  
fluttering of fear in her stomach, yet she had to know what   
he was up to.  
  
Darien had always been a late sleeper, so he did see the man   
clothed in black creep slowly by. And he also saw Ren.  
  
He swore. What was Ren thinking, chasing after an enemy   
warrior. There was no way Ren could beat him by himself.   
Quickly he raced to the nearest cabin, and woke the soldiers   
up.  
  
The groggy soldiers were lazy.  
  
"GET UP! This is a matter of life or death; if our enemy   
has managed to draw plans of our camp, then we could be dead   
within a matter of days!"  
  
That woke them up.  
  
The cabin was in a frenzy, and Darien paid them no heed as   
he rushed out to follow the two, who had by now, disappeared   
into the forest.  
  
  
  
--------  
  
  
  
The feeling of fear had increased by now. Serena's heart   
thudded loudly as she ventured deeper into the forest. It   
was dark and musty and she knew she must have made a few   
sounds to give herself away by now. Diamond was a   
perceptive person. She expected him to have noticed her by   
now.  
  
But he hadn't.   
  
He was just continuing on his way, now walking quickly.  
  
Her suspicions hung in the air, unanswered. She prayed that   
he really hadn't noticed her. Otherwise ... she would be   
walking straight into a ....  
  
TRAP!  
  
She watched as Diamond suddenly turned around, a wicked grin   
on his face. She watched as twenty soldiers dressed in the   
same black uniforms as Diamond slowly stand up from behind   
the bushes.   
  
They were everywhere. Treetops, underground, surrounding   
her.  
  
  
Shit.  
  
  
You really got yourself in trouble this time, Serena. There   
is no one coming to save you. You will die, and even then,   
no one would be able to find you.  
  
"Well, well, well. What do we have here." Diamond gloated.   
"Ren. It's such a pity, really. You are quite talented for   
your young age."  
  
She looked around, trying to size up her situation.  
  
"Oh no use running." Diamond was indeed observant. "We've   
got you surrounded."  
  
She should have known. Diamond had heard her following him   
all the time; yet he led her on. He was really such a   
sneak! But she had been stupid to fall for it.  
  
She glared up at the him, his silver-hair and pale skin   
contrasting with his black uniform, giving him a ghostly,   
sickly look.  
  
"Oh go ahead," he laughed. "Hate me. I love it when you   
hate me ..."  
  
He turned and addressed his men. "This boy really can fight   
a little, don't go easy on him."  
  
Serena closed her eyes, tensed her muscles, and readied   
herself for the inevitable fight.  
  
  
A figure whirled into the midst, quickly grabbing her and   
wheeling them both away. Serena was surprised at the   
interruption, the sudden warmth, and turned to thank her   
savior before she realized that he had already left.  
  
With horror, she realized that he had returned to fight the   
other men.   
  
With surprise, she realized that he was Darien.  
  
"Darien!" she whispered.   
  
It was him; she recognized his fighting style: the smooth   
fluid movements of his body, the quick slashes of his sword.   
He was good, but he couldn't possibly last against twenty   
men as skilled as Diamond. She was immobilized in her   
hiding position for a moment, just watching. He was risking   
his life to save hers?  
  
Somehow, she knew there was more to it than that, that there   
was more at stake here than just her life. And she knew   
that she would fight with him.  
  
With a tremendous battle cry, she emerged from hiding and   
charged at the men nearest Darien. One was about to strike   
him in the back, but suddenly had his sword kicked away.   
Before that man knew it, one sharp sword had pierced his   
heart, and he cried in pain, falling to the ground.  
  
"Ren!" Darien's voice cried out through the fray. "What are   
you doing? Run back!"  
  
"NO! I'm fighting with you Darien." she said in a   
determined tone.  
  
"REN! Don't be stupid!"  
  
But Serena was busy battling Diamond. He was much better   
than he had seemed in camp. She realized that he'd been   
holding back the entire time. There was no way she was even   
close to his skill level. His sword clashed with hers, and   
she struggled to prevent the point from reaching her neck   
...  
  
"Darien." she whispered.  
  
And he was there, in one swift move he had intercepted, and   
was fighting with Diamond. They were about equal in   
ability, but there were other men still around. They closed   
in, and Darien was forced to turn his attention away from   
Diamond.  
  
It was a mistake with grave consequences. It gave Diamond   
the chance to disarm him; gave him and all the men a chance   
to latch on to his arms and legs until they had held him   
down.  
  
Serena wanted to cry. There was so much death. She could   
smell the stench of fresh blood, could feel the nausea   
rising in her throat. She could feel herself starting to   
faint.   
  
She could feel arms grab her brutally and hold her in place.  
  
Dimly she registered the sound of feet stomping on the   
ground.  
  
"REN!"  
  
Their soldiers were coming. About fifteen of them,   
Malachite, Zoicyte, Jedite, and Nephrite among them.  
  
But she and Darien were already held by four strong men;   
they could only stare helplessly at the coming soldiers,   
knowing that they were only a few minutes too late.  
  
"REN!" She could see the alarm in Malachite's eyes.  
  
"Well look who's here," Diamond stepped out.  
  
"Diamond Black!" Zoicyte gasped. "You're with the enemy   
aren't you?"   
  
"He's not Diamond Black." Darien's voice.  
  
Everyone looked at him in confusion.  
  
"Very intelligent, Chiba. You're more intelligent than I   
thought." The man who called himself Diamond turned a sneer   
towards the two captives. "But you're too late now! You   
two are coming with me."  
  
The strong men lifted Serena and Darien up in the air.  
  
Malachite rushed forward, drawing out his sword. "You can't   
take them!"  
  
Diamond never spoke a word. With one quick slash of his   
sword he had pierced through Malachite's armor.  
  
"MAL!" Four anguished screams could be heard, including   
Serena's. Malachite had always been the sharpest-tongued,   
but had always been well-meaning. He was intensely loyal,   
as he had just proven. She watched as the other three bent   
over him, trying to stop the blood flow.  
  
Mal ....  
  
She turned; saw Darien looking at her with something akin to   
sympathy.  
  
  
She wanted to run to her friend.  
  
  
  
  
But she had no more time.  
  
  
  
Something sweet was placed under her nose, and she slumped   
over, unconscious.  
  
  
  
  
--------  
  
[note: I was going to end it there, but that would have   
been kinda cruel :]  
  
  
  
  
Darien studied the boy lying unconscious next to him. Long   
blond lashes, cracked and dried lips, bruises all over. Yet   
there was a softness about the boy when asleep; something   
about the way he breathed, the way his face held such a   
serene expression. To his surprise, he found it intensely   
intriguing.  
  
He wondered for the umpteenth time why Ren had come out of   
hiding and helped him fight. After all, he had been free to   
wait for the right moment and sneak away. Darien knew that   
had Ren not helped him, he would have been far outnumbered   
and captured much sooner.  
  
But either way, it was futile. Neither he nor Ren would be   
able to leave this nightmare alive. They were in enemy   
territory, after all, both locked up.  
  
He was cold.   
  
He was hungry.  
  
But he would never convey his fear to Ren. For both of   
their sake, he had to be strong. The boy didn't deserve to   
be locked up. After all, the enemy only wanted information   
about war plans and Ren wouldn't know any of that   
information.  
  
Suddenly there was movement next to him. "NO! NO! PLEASE   
DON'T!" Ren thrashed about, arms and legs flying, face   
scrunched in pain, caught in his own nightmare.  
  
"No .... " Tears ran down pale cheeks.  
  
"Ren, wake up." Darien tried to shake him as gently as   
possible. "Ren."  
  
Long lashes fluttered open, and Darien saw unguarded eyes of   
ocean blue. His breath caught; he was lost in the   
vulnerability that those eyes showed. Ren was afraid; of   
what, he did not know. But there was the look of a lost   
child, and Darien's heart felt it.   
  
All the toughness Ren displayed during training, all the   
stubbornness, had been the only things Darien had seen. But   
now, he knew that underneath it all, Ren was just as scared   
of war as the next person. It relieved him immensely to   
find that the boy in front of him wasn't a rude, brash, and   
violent person, because, to Darien's surprise, he wanted to   
like this kid. He wanted to get to know Ren and become   
friends.  
  
Serena felt the aftershocks of her nightmare. In her dream,   
she had been found out. Someone had revealed her true   
identity; that she was a girl. It had taken place at her   
trial. She was found guilty, and sentenced to death along   
with her family. But the most lasting impression was the   
looks on the faces of her parents: resignment, sadness, and   
disappointment in her. They were to be executed first as   
she watched.  
  
Her family name was disgraced. Her mother and father were   
going to die.  
  
"NO! Please don't!" she had screamed.   
  
She saw the executioner walk up with the large sword.   
She saw him place it at her father's neck.   
Saw him reach back.   
Saw him swing.   
And saw ....   
  
She woke up, sweating and breathing heavily. She'd first   
thought that she'd died, but after a moment, she saw Darien   
and she remembered what had happened.  
  
Darien was sitting next to her, staring at her in a way that   
made her feel quite uncomfortable.   
  
"Ummm .. Darien." her voice was but a whisper. "Where are   
we, exactly?"  
  
"We've been captured." His voice sounded emotionless, even   
to his own ears.  
  
Serena flinched at his tone ... was he angry at her for   
their capture? She should have fought better. Then,   
perhaps, they wouldn't have been captured so quickly, and   
the other soldiers would have had time to fight and rescue   
them.   
  
And Malachite ...  
  
Poor Malachite ...  
  
Malachite who had been the most realistic of them all. He'd   
always been blunt with words, but he was one of her dearest   
friends.  
  
It was all her fault.   
  
Serena hung her head. "I ... I'm sorry, Captain Chiba."  
  
Darien's head flew up. Ren was blaming himself? "Sorry for   
what?"  
  
"It was my fault we've been captured. It was my fault Mal   
is ..." She tried to say the word 'dead' but she just   
couldn't bring herself to do so without crying.   
  
She waited for him to agree with her.  
  
Darien was amazed. How could Ren blame himself?  
  
"Ren," he said in a voice surprisingly gentle, "none of this   
is your fault. You tried to trail an enemy, that shows your   
loyalty to your country. You should have notified me, but   
there was no time to do so, and as we weren't on great  
terms, I understand your actions. Then, after I rescued   
you, you came back and helped me fight. That act shows your   
kindness. You wouldn't let anyone be captured because he   
was saving you."  
  
"Ren," he continued. "Look at me."  
  
Serena looked up into his eyes. They seemed surprisingly   
kind and gentle. He was smiling at her in an encouraging   
way. And it made her feel warm and safe inside.  
  
"Ren, tell me that it wasn't your fault."  
  
She looked away.   
  
"I ... I should have fought better."  
  
Darien couldn't believe how much responsibility this boy   
carried in his mind. He couldn't have been older than   
eighteen. Darien could remember how reckless he was at that   
age. He'd been a nice person, but didn't have any worries   
in the world.  
  
"It was NOT your fault." He emphasized the word 'not.'  
  
He put his hands on Ren's shoulders, brought Ren's head up   
to look into his eyes.  
  
"You fought bravely out there, Ren." he said. "You were   
excellent both in technique and in concentration. You saved   
my life as well."  
  
Serena couldn't move, couldn't breathe. He was so close to   
her.  
  
"Always remember that, Ren. When times are dark, YOU were a   
hero out there."  
  
And with those encouraging words echoing in her mind, Serena   
burst into tears and cried into Darien's shoulder.   
  
She cried for all the mean things she had ever thought about   
him. He was such a wonderful person in reality, and she   
felt even more guilty for ever being angry at him.  
  
She cried for Darien, who would die for sure, here. He   
didn't deserve to die. He was a great person, someone who   
could lead their country to win the war.   
  
She cried for Malachite, a true friend in bleak times. He   
didn't deserve to have died, either. She still remembered   
that day when he had come up to her for help, asking humbly   
for her to train him. He had improved the most out of the   
four brothers, with his hard work and determination.   
Already, she missed him.  
  
She cried for her family: her father and her mother, who   
would learn of her death. She knew they would be   
heartbroken inside. She was their only child, there would   
be no one else to comfort them.  
  
She cried for herself, for she knew she would not be able to   
live a life where she could accomplish everything she wanted   
to accomplish. She was a sacrifice; and Serena hoped that   
with her sacrifice, her country could win this war.  
  
A little late, she remembered that she was supposed to be a   
boy, and that boys shouldn't cry.  
  
But Darien was there, soothing her, calming her,   
understanding her. "It's alright to cry once in a while,   
Ren. It helps, you know, to let it go."  
  
And Darien held her close as she cried until she could not   
cry anymore.  
  
  
  
--------  
  
  
"What were you dreaming about anyway, Ren? It seemed pretty   
nasty."  
  
It was a few hours later, and Darien and Serena were   
lounging rather 'un'comfortably on the prison floor.  
  
Serena blushed and racked her brains for an answer. She   
couldn't exactly tell him that in her dream, she had been   
scared because they'd found out she was a girl.  
  
"I .. uh .. don't really remember ..."   
  
"Really?" Darien looked at her perceptively.   
  
She nodded very emphatically. "Really."  
  
He didn't believe her at all. But perhaps it was private,   
and Ren wasn't ready to share it with him. After all,   
they'd only technically been friends for about three hours.  
  
"So then," he said. "Tell me about your family. I thought   
that Ken Tsukino only had a daughter or something. What was   
her name again?"  
  
"Serena." Serena was feeling rather uncomfortable with this   
topic.  
  
"Right. So, how's your family doing?"  
  
"OK." Her voice was strained.  
  
"Ren, we're at the last hours of our lives here. I just   
want to know a little bit more about you."  
  
Well, Serena thought. It really was the last hours of their   
lives. She didn't have to be so cautious. So she told him   
little white lies about her family, praying that she   
wouldn't stumble over her own words and ideas.   
  
"Serena's my older sister."  
  
"Well, what does she look like then?"  
  
"Hmm ... she has blonde hair down to mid-back. She has blue   
eyes, and I guess, she really looks like me."  
  
Darien contemplated this. Actually he stared at Ren, and   
found that Ren would make a rather beautiful girl. As a   
guy, he was probably considered beautiful by the female   
population already, tall and lanky, but the extra-long   
lashes and the high cheekbones were definitely feminine,   
despite their current bruises.  
  
"Do you think I'd like her?"  
  
Serena was shocked. "You want to know if you'd like her?   
Why would you want to know that?"  
  
"Ren, I'm 22." He sighed. "I'm pretty close to marrying   
age, and my parents are on my case about it. We're rather   
well-off, so they want me to find a girl from a respected   
family. You're family seems to all be of nice character and   
it is a very famous name, so I thought that your sister   
would be a nice person as well... I just thought maybe if   
we liked each other, it could be a potential match."  
  
She couldn't stop blushing. Darien, consider marrying her?   
She'd never thought of him in a romantic sense before.   
Well, not really. But he was talking about the 'real' her.  
  
"I don't know if you'd like her type. I really look up to   
her, though."  
  
"Really? Why? You like how she cooks?" Darien sounded   
surprised. In their time, men didn't usually look up to   
women, perhaps because women mainly stayed at home and   
cooked and cleaned.  
  
"Don't be so stereotypical!" Darien was taken aback by  
Ren's tone. He could tell that this was a topic that Ren   
felt strongly about.  
  
"My sister can fight as well as I." she said proudly.  
  
"A girl? Fight?" Darien shuddered. "She must be pretty   
tough then."  
  
Serena could tell he didn't mean it as a compliment. She   
saw him shudder. That was what he would think of her if she   
told him she was really a girl. He would think her 'tough.'   
That, of course, translated to un-feminine and un-proper.   
If he knew the real Serena, he would never want to marry   
her. And for reasons unknown to Serena herself, she felt   
rather disappointed.  
  
"Well, I think it's noble of her." Serena was indignant.  
  
Darien caught the slightly dangerous tone in Ren's voice.   
Wisely, he decided to not judge Ren's sister until he heard   
everything about her. He had a feeling that Ren really did   
admire a girl who wasn't conventional.  
  
She continued. "She should have gone to school, just like   
she wanted to, but that stupid Prince of our country made   
some stupid rule that girls aren't allowed to go to school.   
Maybe it was the King who made the rule. But it was still a   
stupid rule."  
  
"Ren," Darien sounded rather nervous. "The rule was put   
there so that men would be able to go home after a long   
day's work and have a proper wife who would take care of   
them, cook meals for them, and look after their children for   
them."  
  
"That's absolutely silly," she retorted. "Who says a woman   
can't work as well?"  
  
Darien was more amused now, than anything. "So when you get   
married, you want your wife to do all the work, and you'd   
rather do all the chores at home?" He laughed uproariously   
at the mental image of Ren washing dishes. "Somehow, I   
can't see you like that ... "  
  
Serena looked at him in embarrassment. Somewhere through   
the argument she had gotten a little carried away. She   
didn't want him to think of her as Ren to be weak.   
  
"I'm not ... I'm just ..."  
  
"Ah, I see." Darien drawled lazily. "You just want to slack  
off when you get married and do all the easy work while your   
wife does the real work."  
  
That fired her up again.  
  
"Girls' chores are not so easy. My mom put me through   
enough of it to appreciate how difficult it really is. You   
have no idea how much trouble it is to cook, or to wash   
clothes, or ..."  
  
Darien held up his hands. "Sorry. No offense intended.   
I've never done any of it before, so I can't really be a   
fair judge of what's difficult."  
  
"So," he continued teasing. "You're mom made you do   
chores?"  
  
Blush.  
  
"Umm ... yeah." She was stuttering. "She thought it would   
be ... educational."  
  
Phew, quick save there, she told herself.  
  
"So," she said, eager to change the subject, "what is YOUR   
dream girl like?"  
  
"Hmm." Darien thought for a minute. "My dream girl is   
beautiful inside and out. She would be caring, kind, and   
sweet, a wonderful mother who would take care of our   
children. She would love me for me, not for me being   
handsome or being high-ranking. She'd be very proper, too,   
able to cook a nice hot meal so that I could relax with her   
and the children when I return home after work ..."  
  
He trailed off, eyes drifting shut.  
  
Serena watched him. He must have been dead tired, after all   
this time. She could see the dark circles under his eyes,   
the tiredness of his stance.  
  
"He'd never want to marry me if he knew Serena was me," she   
whispered miserably to herself. "I'm kind, but Darien   
wouldn't know that from the way I act in camp. Oh, I'm not   
terribly beautiful, and I'm not proper at all."  
  
But why did she care? She didn't like Darien, did she?  
  
Resolutely deciding not the think on the confusing subject   
anymore, Serena closed her eyes and fell asleep.  
  
  
  
-------  
  
  
  
It was the interruption that woke them up.   
  
  
"Get up, you two."  
  
They got up, slowly and mechanically, aching bodies   
protesting the movement.  
  
Two guards grabbed Darien and another two grabbed Serena.   
  
"Ouch!" she cried. They were so rough, and she had bruises   
all over.  
  
Darien and Serena were marched towards a huge ceremonial   
looking door at the end of a large hallway. They shared a   
final glance before steeling their gazes and walking through   
the doorway.  
  
The room was eerie and intense. It was huge; as large as at   
least ten of their soccer training fields back at camp. The   
entire room was black, with splashes of white, providing   
shocking contrasts.  
  
There were hundreds of men, standing throughout the room.   
They wore robes of black and their faces were covered by   
hoods. It seemed also as if they weren't there, as there   
was no distinction between where the color black started and   
ended.  
  
At the very center, stood the leader, clothed in pure white,   
as if he were sacred. His face was hidden by a hood as   
well.  
  
Serena felt terrified. She had never come in such close   
contact with the enemy before. They were the people who   
lived in the country next to theirs. So far as her father   
had told her, these men had never stopped trying to overtake   
them within the past one hundred years, and there was a long   
history of blood between the two countries.  
  
Their kingdom was smaller, Serena mused, remembering her  
private geography lessons from her father. However, their   
men were born naturally tall, and muscular, easily several   
inches taller than the average male in her country.. They   
were veritable giants and that was why it was so hard to   
defeat them.  
  
She could feel the eyes of the men boring holes through her   
and Darien. She had never been more scared in her life. A   
quick glance at Darien both calmed her and worried her. He   
had absolutely no expression in his face. He neither seemed   
scared nor worried, but rather seemed like he hadn't a care   
in the world. He spoke in a casual tone.  
  
"Wiseman."  
  
The man in white seemed to nod. He spoke in a voice rich   
and resonant. "Yes, Darien. You are right. I am The   
Wiseman."  
  
"These," he swept his hands over the people, "are but a few   
of my wisemen."  
  
Darien's voice again. "What did you do with the real   
Diamond Black?"  
  
Serena gasped. All this time, she'd forgotten about   
Diamond, and the confusing scene that had occurred in the   
woods.   
  
~~  
  
"Diamond Black!" Zoicyte gasped. "You're with the   
enemy aren't you?"   
  
"He's not Diamond Black." Darien's voice.  
  
  
~~  
  
His words echoed in her head. Was the Diamond who fought   
her and bullied her at the beginning the real Diamond? Did   
Diamond start being nicer to her after a while because there   
was a switch that took place? She felt her head whirling.  
  
"Oh he's .... safe." Mocking tones sounded loud and raucous   
in her ears.  
  
With a sweep of his arms, the two prisoners were lead to a   
small room. It also black, but in it, Serena could discern   
several torture devices hanging on the walls.  
  
There were only three people present. Her, Darien, and "The   
Wiseman."  
  
"You know what I want, Chiba." His voice had now become   
sharp and flinty.  
  
Darien smiled. "Oh really." he drawled lazily. "Because I   
don't know what you want."  
  
SMACK.  
  
Darien's face was flung to one side by a powerful slap to   
his face. "Don't be impertinent with me. I want to know   
about your war plans."  
  
The hood wavered closer to them. Whispering.  
  
"If you tell me what you know, I'll make it worth your   
while."   
  
"And if we don't?" Serena's voice was loud and strong.   
Darien looked at her in surprise. He could have sworn he   
thought Ren was scared. Perhaps he was just trying to act   
brave?  
  
"If you don't, well, we'll have to resort to more extreme   
measures to make you tell ..."  
  
"I'm not telling you anything, you evil maniac!" Serena   
wasn't feeling quite as brave as she sounded, but she tried   
just the same to keep up the act. She knew it was confusing   
the hooded man. "You're just going to kill us anyway."  
  
But the man just laughed his evil laugh.  
  
"Shall we start with you then, boy?"  
  
He walked over to the wall and contemplated. After a   
minute, in which all members in the room waited with baited   
breath, he picked up a curious type of whip.  
  
Oh. My. God. Thought Serena.  
  
That whip had spikes like thorns all over it. He was going   
to use that on her?!?  
  
"Take of his clothes."  
  
Serena panicked. Take off her clothes? She'd have to   
endure more embarrassment than just torture. They'd know   
she was a girl, and then who knows what they would do to her   
then. Her fate would be much worse than dying.  
  
"It's useless to try and get information out of him, you   
know." Darien's sounded amused.  
  
"Huh?" Serena and the Wiseman turned to look at him.  
  
"Ren doesn't know anything. You should know that Wiseman.   
You should know that Ren had kitchen duty through most of   
the training. What would he know about war plans? After   
all, you were there as Diamond, weren't you?"  
  
A gasp. Serena couldn't think straight. This man, this   
foreboding creature in the white gown and hood was the man   
posing as Diamond? But this man seemed so much more   
powerful.  
  
The man in the hood chuckled.   
  
"Very good, Darien. Very good. Once again, I applaud your   
sense of judgement. You sure you don't want to join our   
side?"  
  
He continued.  
  
"You and Ren have been enemies since the beginning of   
training. I can only punish one of you, and leave the other   
to gloat. Then you'll be even worse enemies. HA ha ha .."  
  
"Well, Darien. You've got it coming to you know."  
  
Darien pretended to look dismayed by the turn of events.  
  
And the whip descended.  
  
With wide eyes, Serena watched, unable to tear herself away   
from the brutal image of Darien being tortured. She saw the   
blood, the bruises, and she wanted to vomit.  
  
Darien had done that for her. He'd purposely taken the   
punishment solely onto himself, for her sake. This was the   
second time he had risked his own life to save hers, to save   
the life of a measly, unimportant soldier.  
  
She winced as she watched Wiseman kick him hard in the ribs.  
  
Poor, poor, Darien. She didn't deserve to have a friend as   
wonderful as him. She wanted to scream his pain out for   
him, she wanted to let him be saved while she took some of   
the beatings for him.  
  
She watched as hooded man demanded more information, and   
watched as Darien never spoke a word.   
  
She watched him shut his eyes and clench his teeth in an   
effort not to scream, because screaming would show the   
Wiseman that he was afraid of pain.  
  
She watched as he never made a sound.  
  
  
  
-------  
  
  
  
"Ouch!"  
  
"Don't move around so much!"  
  
"That hurts like hell."  
  
"Stay still! I'm trying to help!"  
  
Darien clenched his teeth as Serena helped him with his   
wounds. It had been a long day of torture, and they had   
been dumped unceremoniously back into their uncomfortable   
prison.  
  
His arms and chest were a bloodied pulp, and at least one of   
his ribs was broken. Serena couldn't even fathom how to   
begin to help him.  
  
"You didn't have to do that, you know."  
  
"I know."  
  
"Thank you." She bowed her head. "But why did you ... ?"  
  
"Why did I take your punishment?" His voice was laced with   
pain. "It was for the same reason you took the punishment   
for your four friends that day with the poisoned food. You   
knew they were innocent."  
  
"I did it because you are my friend, and I know that you   
don't know anything that they wanted to know, anyway."  
  
Darien must really have been in agony to not be able to   
phrase words properly.  
  
Serena felt her cheeks suffuse with red. Darien considered   
her a true friend?  
  
"That day with the poisoned food," she mused aloud.   
"Perhaps Wiseman was the one who ...?"  
  
She returned to   
  
Darien nodded painfully. "Yes, it must have been related to   
him." He paused. "I'm sorry, Ren, for blaming it on you."  
  
"It's alright. I can tell why you would think so." She   
paused. "What do you think will happen to us?"  
  
He thought for a moment.  
  
"I'm not sure." He sighed. "But, I doubt we'll be able to   
leave this mess alive."  
  
"I do." Serena's voice was unusually bright.  
  
"Hmm?" Darien looked at her.  
  
"I think that no matter how bad the situation, there's   
always a little ray of hope. Nothing's impossible. Perhaps   
this entire prison will catch on fire and snap the lock and   
burn everything and then suddenly stop and then we'll go   
free!"  
  
"Or maybe, all our enemies will turn into pigs, and then we   
could get through those bars .. umm .. eventually!"  
  
Darien smiled, amused by the display of enthusiasm. He knew   
than Ren thought the situation was hopeless as well. But he   
had to hand it to the boy for being optimistic. It was   
something Darien himself needed to learn: optimism.  
  
He opened his mouth to commend Ren, but   
  
"You two! Get up!"  
  
Guards.  
  
"You're coming with us!"  
  
They followed the guards into a luxurious room, covered in   
red with gold highlights. It looked like a room for a king.  
  
Serena's eyes widened as she saw a table full of delicious   
looking food in the middle of the room. Was that going to   
be another form of torture? Watching these people eat while   
they starved?  
  
"That's for you two to enjoy! Enjoy it while you can! Ha   
ha ha ha"   
  
And the guards left.  
  
"Darien?" she asked. "What does this mean?"  
  
"Hmm?" he snapped out of his thoughts. "The food's for us."  
  
"Really?" Serena practically squealed, forgetting to use her   
fake voice. She scrambled towards the table and picked up   
the chopsticks, putting the nearest thing she could find in   
her mouth.  
  
Darien looked at her, grinning. "But it also means that it   
is our last meal, for we will be executed tomorrow morning."  
  
"WHAT?!?" She choked on the meat she was eating. Darien   
helped her cough it out with a glass of water. It was hard   
considering how hard Darien was laughing.  
  
They sobered up quickly.  
  
"What do you mean, we're going to be executed tomorrow? How   
do you know?"  
  
He sighed. "It's customary for prisoners to get a good meal   
the night before they are to be executed. This is, much   
better than normal treatment, but then, we will probably be   
executed in a much 'better' than normal way.  
  
"Eww..... So, we're going to die tomorrow morning?" she   
asked in a small voice.  
  
"Yup, I guess so." Darien waited for a reaction. Probably   
Ren would lose his appetite, and day dream for the rest of   
the night, hoping to grasp whatever time he had left in this   
world.  
  
"Well, then, Let's EAT! We might as well make the most of   
what we've got!"  
  
"Wha .." that really took Darien by surprise.  
  
"Come on, Darien. Eat! How on earth are you going to have   
the energy to run away tomorrow if you don't fill yourself   
up tonight and rest to heal your wounds?"  
  
"We're going to wha ..?"  
  
"Run away, silly. Now," she pulled him towards the table.   
"Let's eat, I am so starved it's not funny."  
  
He was surprised, but Ren had been full of surprises lately.   
This Ren reminded Darien of the joyful person that played in   
the snow many months ago. It was the Ren that Darien felt   
he liked the most. There was this aura about him, this   
attitude to embrace life and look brightly forward, that was   
stronger in Ren than in any other man he'd ever known. To   
play along, he tried to pick up his chopsticks, but his arms   
screamed at him in pain for the effort, his fingers found it   
hard to move nimbly.  
  
Serena noticed this.  
  
"I'm so sorry!" She had forgotten that he couldn't do too   
much by himself.  
  
"Darien. I know you'll get much better if you eat nice and   
full tonight, so, here." She picked up her pair of   
chopsticks and fed him some food. Every once in a while,   
she paused to give him a sip of water or wine.  
  
He felt like crying as she fed him. This young boy was so,   
so sweet. For such a young person, he understood others; he   
understood how to care for them; he understood how to make   
them feel brighter.  
  
It was a while before he could finish eating, but that whole   
time, Serena never ate a morsel herself, just fed him   
slowly.   
  
It was only after he'd fallen asleep from being pleasantly   
full and from being exhausted, before Serena started eating.  
  
  
  
----------  
  
  
  
Morning came, and by noon, Serena and Darien found   
themselves standing outside on a platform, with an enormous   
audience of hooded men. It was the platform they would be   
executed on, but they did not show fear.  
  
The Wiseman came foreward. "Do you still refuse to say   
anything?"  
  
Darien and Serena simultaneously spat in his face and looked   
away.  
  
"UGH! He wiped the face that couldn't been seen discreetly,   
and turned around to address the crowd.  
  
"These are our enemies. They shall not die easy deaths."  
  
He turned back to Darien.  
  
"We have lots of torture devices here. Why don't we tell   
you which one we've picked for you? Hmm?"  
  
"For you, Chiba, we're going to use a straight forward   
approach. You're friend will take longer to die, so you'll   
get to watch him scream for a while before you get yours."  
  
A large contraption was wheeled onto the stage. It looked   
like a metal bed with a canopy frame, but hanging from the   
top was a long axe.  
  
"This is for you, Ren. You like it? Do you want to know   
what will happen to you?"  
  
Serena repressed a shudder.  
  
The Wiseman walked closer to her, brought out a finger and   
stroked her chin.  
  
"It's a pity to let such fine skin go to waste, but we'll   
have to. You will lie on the bed, my dear boy." He grinned   
evilly. "That metal axe will stop just above your stomach   
and start swinging. It will only cut you a little, let out   
a little blood. But then every hour, it will descend a   
little bit. It will cut you a little more each time until   
if fully slices you in half. Your going to take a day to   
die ... ha ha ha." [note: this really is a torture device in   
real life. I've seen one in a museum before, and it scared   
the heck out of me]  
  
It was harder for Serena to hide her horror now. Was that   
what fate had planned for her? It had been so easy to talk   
of escaping yesterday, but there hadn't been any chances to   
do so. It didn't seem like there would be any more chances   
any more.  
  
But she knew Darien would get a worse punishment.  
  
The Wiseman turned to walk to Darien.  
  
"Your punishment might be quicker, but it will also be more   
painful. I want to have the pleasure of killing you   
myself."  
  
Darien yawned.  
  
It angered the hooded men.  
  
"I'm going to have fun with you, Chiba. First I'm going to   
cut off your left hand. Then after a while, I'll cut off   
your right. Before I'm through with you, you'll lose one   
limb at a time. But not before I scoop out your eyes from   
their sockets and pull out all your hair with my bare   
hands.... hahhaaa"  
  
Darien yawned again. "Ho hum. Is that all you can do?" he   
asked in a bored tone.  
  
The Wiseman looked at him angrily. "You may be brave now,   
Chiba, but after a few chops of the axe, I don't think   
you'll be quite so cocky."  
  
Serena wallowed in despair. She had to think of something,   
fast, but what? There was no way out for either of them   
with all these men around. Even if they escaped from this   
platform, there would be a chase, and they weren't healthy   
enough to run away.  
  
They were going to die.  
  
  
--------  
  
  
That was rather long (for me anyway).  
  
Oooh ... they're going to die! I'm not giving any hints.   
It's probably even more cruel to end it here than where I   
was going to end it before.  
  
Whether they'll die or not ... the story's far from over.   
They still have some pretty wacky situations to be in before   
this is over!  
  
That second part of this story was sooo hard to write, I   
have no idea why ^.^ I really slaved away at 3 in the   
morning, when I should have been studying :) So if you   
liked it, please review it!  
  
I despise proofreading! Is there anyone up for beta-reading   
my stuff? You can e-mail me or ICQ me at 36917838 ^.^   
Thanks a lot!  
  
What I love hearing is what direction you think this story   
is going in. For example, do you think they'll die and go   
to heaven and the story will continue that way? Or do you   
think they'll be saved? Or what?   
  
'Till next time, =)  
  
Moni-chan 


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